The Turmoil of Ryan Evans
by qtkitten13
Summary: Ryan loves Sharpay. Sharpay loves Troy, but is dating Zeke. Troy and Gabriella love each other. Meanwhile, Ryan is frustrated with Sharpay and vents his frustrations in a play in which they both star. Rypay, Troyella possibly later and KelsixOC.
1. A new play

"Ugh, she makes me so mad!" Sharpay cried to Ryan venting her feelings about Gabriella in the private closet they shared. It was between classes, and his sister was angry. Ryan knew what that meant, but this didn't alleviate the tension. He waited for her to proceed onto the next stage.

She did so, drawing near to Ryan, grabbing his cheeks and forcing her mouth onto his. She thrust her tongue in and obediently Ryan responded similarly. He rolled his tongue in her mouth; he was an excellent kisser and Sharpay always wanted to make out when she was angry. They had been sneaking around like this for years, even when she had a boyfriend, like Zeke now. Ryan didn't question why she didn't do this with them. Although he didn't like to admit it, even to himself, he found it strangely erotic.

He broke away from her mouth and began kissing her neck. This was again expected of him, as it gave her a chance to vent while still being sensually stimulated. One hand was on her back and the other was running through her hair, soft and silky.

"…it was bad enough when they stole our parts in the musical, and then upstaged our talent show, hard as I tried to stop that…" she went on. Ryan now stopped kissing her neck and spun her around, massaging her shoulders. This was the point in the ritual where he responded.

"Don't you think that what you did was at least a bit wrong? And they still gave you a fair chance."

"They have to be so _noble_," she said with contempt. "I hate that attitude."

"Yes, I know."  
Ryan knew all too well. It was her opinion that acting like a goody-two-shoes and rubbing it in your face was about the worst thing someone could do. To be a better person so that you could be proud of your humility was not humble at all. This was worse because most people thought that they _were_ more humble.

"Do you really like Zeke?" Ryan asked, changing the subject.

"Meh," Sharpay said non-committed, shrugging her shoulders still being massaged, bared during the height of passion by removal of the thin overshirt that had covered her strapless blouse.

Ryan squashed the feelings of jealousy he held for Zeke. He couldn't reveal, even to her and especially not to himself that he wanted an _actual _relationship with Sharpay. While it was true that he got the brunt of her angry sexual passion, he feared that he had actual feelings for her, much deeper than the lusty eroticism he felt when they made out in the closet or fooled around when they were home alone. Sharpay had made it clear that their 'arrangement' was OK as long as it was purely physical, but this frustrated Ryan.

"He's OK," she said after this brief pause, which felt like an eternity to Ryan.

"Do you love him?" Another pause. It didn't seem likely that Sharpay loved anyone but herself; even sororal or filial affection she exhibited was forced, just an act, much like their shows. It was hard to tell who the real Sharpay was. Ryan did, and he felt privileged to do so. The honest Sharpay was wise, in a Hobbsian sense. She knew that everyone was going to look out for themselves, and there was nothing wrong with that. To her, the definition of love was to extend self-preservation to someone else. In her case, theater was how she survived. Ryan was incidental, he rode along. But despite popular opinion, she would not get rid of him even if she could play both Romeo and Juliet. She needed the support, undying loyalty, backup talent and someone to feel superior to. Since this required Ryan's preservation, this was love. Zeke didn't have that.

"No," she admitted. Ryan sighed relief. He was glad that they made up, even though Ryan had been pretty mad at her last summer, for all her manipulations. She had explained why she'd had to do that, and Ryan had believed her. Perhaps she was manipulating him, but he loved her too much to care. It was complicated and he couldn't blame himself. He still wasn't aware of all she had done last summer, though she had seemed to make up with Gabby, Troy and the rest, and though she dated Zeke, he felt it was all false. Her relationship with Zeke in particular – this seemed to be random! If she didn't love him, then who did she love?

She moaned slightly, Ryan's fingers still working on her back and shoulders. It reminded him of one time when their comforting each other had gone a bit further than normal. He grinned to himself about the memory.

"Besides, I love Troy," she said, suddenly. Ryan's heart sunk. He knew this, of course, but he always hoped she would get over him. Troy was a simpleton, and arrogant, snobby and disdainful. Why did she love him? The 'bitch', as Sharpay called Gabriella, was perfect for Troy. They were both snobbish in their humility, flaunting their modesty. And they acted 'sweet'. Ryan was used to Sharpay's falsehoods and he spotted Gabriella's a mile away. It still seemed to be a fact that everyone was looking out for themselves.

She turned around. "Thanks Ry, I feel better now." She hugged him; it was not a hug appropriate for a brother, but much more sexually charged. She put her overshirt on, and left the closet, carefully checking that the hall was clear. Ryan was to count to 120 and then follow suit. They couldn't have anyone finding them out, after all. He had trouble concentrating on the counting, however, as he had too much on his mind.

His feelings for his sister were very confused. He loved her sexually. But that was more or less being fulfilled. It would probably be better, of course, if she loved him sexually, rather than just using him. But he also shared her best moments and comforted her during her worst. What more could he ask for? Well, love would be nice. Sharpay loved - or pretended to - Ryan only as much as necessary. Ryan loved her deeply, beyond the bonds of fraternal or even sexual affection. Again, he couldn't explain this. He wanted a relationship, one that was reciprocated. She didn't love him as much as she used him: Professionally, academically, and even sexually.

It had certainly been long enough by now, so Ryan came out of the closet and went to class. It was amazing that all that had taken place in the mere 10 minutes they were allotted. History was difficult to pay attention to, until something caught his mind.

"…said that Cleopatra married her brother, a not all that uncommon practice in those times…"

Ryan sighed inwardly. He would love to father his sister's children, they would be so beautiful. He shuddered slightly, beginning to scare even himself, and turned back to focusing on history.

"Yes!" Sharpay cried, reading the play's assignments. Ryan smiled as he came down the hall toward her after class. It was fortunately a play rather than a musical, and Troy and Gabriella couldn't act as well as the Evans twins, apparently only sing.

"We got the leads, Shar?" Ryan said. Sharpay spun around and inhaled sharply, surprised. She had an apologetic look in her eyes, and Ryan read the assignments. _Troy_ and her had gotten the male and female leads. Ryan was cast as the lead villain. He wondered if these were her machinations. Her gaze indicated that it probably was. She seemed to be suggesting she'd make it up to him.

Still, playing the villain could be fun. He rarely got the chance to play a character opposed to Sharpay. Perhaps he could use some of his pent up frustration, especially against Troy, who was playing Sharpay's husband. Ryan would have to see Kelsi and Tom for a script; it was an original piece written by Tom with score by Kelsi. Not much was being revealed about it, even to the people playing in it. The only parts of a script given to the actors were scenes they were in, and even those hadn't been released _yet._ What was more was that they were expected not to share it with _anyone_. It was a bizarre experiment, and rumors said that Tom was working on a way to hide twists that occur in scenes that the actors _were_ in. Tom's reasoning was that acting surprised would be easier if the actor was actually surprised. So during free period, Ryan timidly opened the door to the auditorium, from which piano and soft singing emanated. Judging by the quality of the playing, he could tell Tom was at the piano. The voice was feminine, probably Kelsi's.

"Working on something for the play?" Ryan asked after his eyes adjusted and he confirmed that he was correct. Kelsi lied on the piano and Tom played. They stopped when they saw him, and Tom smiled.

"Not right now," he admitted, coming over to Ryan and giving him a big hug. "But I'm glad you're here. I'm quite excited that you're playing Malvolio. It's a fun character."

Ryan was pleased by this. Despite the rest of everyone in the world, it seemed, Tom genuinely liked Ryan. Of course, Tom genuinely seemed to like everyone, he was just that kind of person.

"I've got a great idea," he went on. "For entire scenes that are improvised! I'm not going to put any major characters in them, not yet anyway, but it could be fun!"

Cast

The Warlord Benvolio – Troy Bolton

Bonita, his wife – Sharpay Evans

The Warlord Malvolio – Ryan Evans

Larissa, the Seeress – Gabriella Montez

Roberto, B.'s 1st Lt. – R. Crantz

Gregorio, B.'s 2nd Lt. – G. Stern

"The trick to improv. is writing a complex character and then letting the actors get into that character. Then you lay out a basic scene and let them at it. Of course, Malvolio doesn't have any improv. scenes, he's got enough to worry about."

"You know he just took random bits of Shakespeare and mashed them together," Kelsi said chidingly.

"I did _not_," Tom disagreed. Conspiratally, in an aside to Ryan, he said "Actually, I took all bits of Shakespeare and mashed them together."

Ryan smiled at this as Kelsi came over. "I'm going to take five, hun," she said to Tom, giving him a quick kiss.

"So, you and Kelsi, eh?" Ryan said when she'd left.

"Yeah, her thing with the basketball player didn't work out, but she's happy to be dating a literature club member."

He had been selected from literature club to write the next play. The faculty was already regretting it, but Tom kept waving the "It's art" flag to pass it. Kelsi must have found him romantic, because looking over Tom he was no prize. Overweight, with a broad nose and unkempt hair. Of course, Kelsi wasn't the prettiest girl either. They must truly like each other. How lovely must reciprocated love be.

"But Ryan, my man, I look forward to rehearsing you. You'll make an excellent Malvolio." He shuffled some papers around on the piano. "It's not a musical, but there is a score. Some of Kelsi's best work, or so I've been told." He chuckled.

"Cool," Ryan said. "When do we start?"

"Tomorrow, here, after school. 3 o'clock sharp," Tom patted Ryan on the shoulder and left the room. Ryan sighed, and after a moment also left.

He had to be home to prepare for the diner with Sharpay and Zeke, and though he wasn't looking forward to it, he knew that it was important to Sharpay and that was a good enough reason for him. He put on his best pink button shirt and a black tie. He completed the outfit with black pants and a black newsboy hat. Of course, he had been told to wear pink and black because it would compliment Sharpay's dress, which he hadn't yet seen. He looked over himself in the mirror, thinking that this would suffice. Despite what one might expect, his room was not pink. The walls were a dull off-white and navy carpeting lied beneath his feet. There was oak trim along the ceiling and most of his furniture was mahogany. His sheets were plain and a simple white. He looked at his bed, remembering something that had almost happened there, then shook the thought out of his head. Now was not the time.

"Sharpay," he called, wandering over toward her room. She opened her door and Ryan walked in. To contrast, her room was filled with pink. The walls were a light pink, the furniture was pink and white, her sheets were pink and frilly. But what Ryan noticed, since he was used to the room, was her dress. It was pink, rather short, and backless. A halter-like strap cam around her neck. There was probably a good word for it, but Ryan couldn't think of it at the moment. She had her hair up, held in place with a rhinestone-covered headband, large hooped earrings, and black, strappy heels. Ryan was awestruck by her radiance, but her daren't show this. A lot of what people took for a lack of intellect was really a loss of focus when Sharpay was beautiful. And she was always beautiful.

"Good," she said, scrutinizing him like a drill sergeant. "You followed my directions."

"You look amazing," he said once he recovered. This was expected of him in this situation, but he would be glad to tell her any time. He rarely got the chance, as Sharpay would probably disapprove of his attachment to her. Again, she required a purely physical relationship from him. Any hint that he wanted more than that, or the geminal relationship they already had, and she may dump the arrangement altogether.

"I know, I always do," she snapped. He would have to agree. Despite her tone, she smiled and kissed Ryan on the cheek. He shuddered and closed his eyes, slightly aroused and trying to suppress it. "Zeke will be here any minute."

A knot formed in Ryan's stomach. In a way, Zeke was his competition, even though Sharpay had admitted to not loving him. Their relationship didn't make sense; they hardly even had any history. Nevertheless, Sharpay would be giving her attention to Zeke all evening, even if it was a façade. His anxiety tightened as the doorbell rang.

"Zeke!" Sharpay cried, answering the door. Out of politeness, Ryan went to the front hall, but opted to turn his head as they kissed hello. It was a short one, and he turned and quietly shook Zeke's hand, trying not to betray his ill feelings toward him. Zeke winked inexplicably.

They soon sat down to dinner. "How goes the basketball and baking?" Ryan asked Zeke politely.

Act I, Scene 1

_Malvolio, by his tent, a dwindling campfire at his feet_

Malvolio: I, the great warlord Malvolio, have gathered my troops to march against my wretched twin brother, the warlord Benvolio. He is the mayor of a great city-state. Well, I can use this to my advantage! My troops are but a day outside of his city on a forced march. We can't be seen from here and will only approach under cover of night. We will lay siege to his city, and whether he stays in or sallies forth, he cannot win. Scout!

Enter Scout

Mal: What news have you?

Scout: The way is clear, but hellish. We will remain unseen until we are in position.

Mal: At which point it will be too late. If he has advance warning, it would be disastrous to my plan, but as long as this goes well, his city will fall. Excellent work, you are dismissed.

Exit Scout

Mal: My brother is wretched, vile, and stole from me the one woman I love. I vow to get her back and to run my sword through his heart, before the week is through!

Exit Malvolio

"Pretty well, thanks," Zeke said. "How goes the theater?"


	2. Continued Machinations

"It's going well, thanks," Ryan replied, unconvinced that Zeke actually cared. The rest of dinner went along without much discussion from anyone. Sharpay felt like the silence was awkward, while Ryan was glad. He wouldn't mind if things were awkward between Sharpay and Zeke, because then they might break up, and then...

And then what? He couldn't date Sharpay. He knew that even if that wasn't (he shuddered, rather than supplying an adjective), she probably wouldn't date him. Besides, like she said, she loved Troy. Damn that Troy! Jocks were always attracting the girls. Sharpay loved a jock, Gabriella loved the same jock. Martha was dating a jock, for goodness' sake! It seemed like the only girl who was not, was Kelsi. Ah, good old Kelsi and Tom. Ryan smiled, now _there _ were straight-forward people who wouldn't screw him over. He looked forward to working with them, both of them. They had done so well that past summer.

The next day at school was uneventful. He had the usual dull classes, ate the usual recycled lunch, and had the usual unconquerable feelings for Sharpay. But he managed to put these feelings aside at three o'clock, when he made his way to the auditorium for practice with Kelsi and Tom.

"Ryan, my man!" Tom cried, sounding sincerely satisfied to see him. "Here's your scene," he said, handing him a small chunk of script. "It's the opening scene. I'll read the characters that you aren't, and you read Malvolio's lines. Meanwhile, Kelsi will play the opening score..." Tom explained to Ryan how the practice would go and Ryan listened, his thoughts completely absorbed _not _by Sharpay, but by the play itself. It was funny, that showmanship was the only thing that got his mind off of _her_. Perhaps that's why he was so into it.

Practice went smoothly, and Ryan felt he knew his lines for the first scene through and through. Kelsi's score set the perfect undertone for the scene, which according to Tom was also the scene setting the mood for the whole play. If that was true, then this play promised to be quite dark – much more so than anything he'd been in before. This didn't bother him, in fact he rather liked the idea. He was in the mood for it as he felt it would be a good way for him to vent his frustrations.

After what felt like was only a brief time, Tom suddenly stopped mid-line. "Oh shoot! It's 5:30. We've gotta be going," he said to Ryan apologetically.

"It's all right, I have to be going too," Ryan replied, mentally cursing himself. Sharpay would _not _be glad that he was late, especially because he wasn't about to tell her that he was practicing without her. But despite his love of her, he felt like he needed the time alone.

"And just where have you been?" Ryan had been right. Sharpay was waiting for him by the door when he got in.

"Oh, nowhere. Just hanging with some friends," he said, cracking a small smile. This was pretty much true – at the very least he considered Tom his friend.

"Aw, how sweet, my brother is making _friends_," she said, sneering the last word. "Darling," she softened in tone. "I _told you_," she purred. "You don't need anyone but me." She came up to him, laid a hand on his chest and gave him a brief kiss on the lips. And then she was away.

"Now come, Ry, we _must_ practice! I've gotten an advance copy of the script from Tom, the pushover." Ryan felt like saying something about this, but decided not to. It wouldn't be good for her to know that the friend he mentioned was Tom, or else she might put pi and e together and figure out 8.53973422...

They went up to their practice studio. It was basically a dance studio, with mirrors everywhere, plus some audio equipment. It was the perfect place for Sharpay to practice all the sweet, endearing qualities that she faked so very well. Her falsehoods made Ryan downright _mad_ at times, and yet, he _knew_ Sharpay. He knew her better than anyone in the school, certainly better than Zeke or Troy. And wasn't that what one looks for in a significant relationship? Not that they would ever be able to have a real one.

"Ryan! When you were practicing with Tom and Kelsi, did you happen to snag a copy of the score? Oh, don't look shocked like that. You think you could pull the proverbial wool over my eyes... I have news for you."

"I see all." She advanced toward him.

"I know all." She took another step.

"I am all!" She was right up against him now. She smiled and patted his cheek. "So I know that no, you didn't get a score from Kelsi." She sighed and turned around. "No matter, they're not set to music anyway... but it would help the mood."

Sharpay was beginning to scare Ryan, though he did realize that the perfect musical score for _her _would be _Dies Irae_.

Act I, Scene II

_An inn in the city_

Benvolio (Troy): Another round for all! Roberto, Gregorio, to no tomorrow!

Innkeeper: Pardon me, Lord Benvolio. A messenger has been sent from your estate, your wife calling for you.

Ben: Tell the strumpet I am not here.

Inn: The messenger or your wife?

Ben: Yes. Roberto! Sing for us, my friend!

Roberto: Ah, but Master, you know as well as I that I cannot sing.

Ben: Then I must be drunk.

Gregorio: Very astute, milord. Don't you think, mayhaps, that you should be getting off to bed? Your wife is likely longing for your return.

Ben: Ah, but _you_ know as well as _I _that she will be all the more longing the longer I wait!

Rob: Thou hast said that before, and have more than once ended up on the couch.

Ben: It's a fine couch, though.

_Benvolio stands up_

Ben: But perhaps you are right, I would best be getting off now. Farewell, friends! There is no tomorrow!

Exit Benvolio

Greg: I worry about our master. Was he not a bit too excessive tonight?

Rob: Oh, give him a night! Our troops just conquered the Gnabs. All the men are celebrating.

Greg: But he has never acted like this before. Don't you think he is getting too confident? A bit cocky, even?

Rob: As long as confidence pays for our drinks, I'm not complaining.

Enter a messenger

Mess: Roberto, Gregorio, Lord Benvolio needs you at once! He has grave news.

Exeunt Messenger, Roberto, Gregorio


	3. Rehearsal

The rehearsal went rather smoothly. At least, Ryan thought so.

"No no no," Sharpay said, shaking her head at a scene she and Ryan had together. "You're doing it all wrong – Malvolio would be _angry_ here, not callous. You know this!"

"Sorry, I guess my head's just not completely in it right now."

"Well _get_ into it, dear," she said too sweetly, batting her eyes. He could detect a hint of sarcasm in that 'dear', yet he still liked being called by the affectionate nickname. He smirked a bit.

"What are you smiling about?" Sharpay said, breaking Ryan from his thoughts. He frequently zoned out, and Sharpay usually had no idea what he was thinking about. "Really, I don't know where you are lately! Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She had sounded sincere, but not for his sake, rather for the play's.

"Good, because if you're not up to it, I need to know NOW. Ry..." she said softly, trailing off. "I can't do it without you."

Finally, some humanity! This seemed to be an honest and real emotion – or was she putting on an act to win him over and convince him to work harder. He felt that it was more complicated than an either/or choice here. The thing was, he _knew_ she couldn't do it without him. He was her supporter, her underling, but also her confidant and fellow thespian. No one worked with her as well, no one had the chemistry with her that he did. They were such perfect fits for one another, such compliments. They formed one perfect whole. It wasn't Ryan Evans and Sharpay Evans, it was The Evans Twins, or Sharpay and Ryan Evans, as though they were married. They might as well be, and yet, they were much closer than husbands and wives. They grew up together, were around for each others' milestone moments. They were _twins_, the closest of siblings. Fraternal twins, though, and more so, one male and one female. The perfect couple! If only it weren't _so _wrong. Rejected by society, rejected by _nature. _But what was it validated by? By him, perhaps? That was enough for him. They should be together, it was _right_. It wasn't right naturally or socially, but it was right on some level Ryan could not explain.

He sighed. "We've been working for a while Shar, isn't it about time for a break?"

Sharpay cleared her throat, as though testing something. "_Fine_. We'll take a break. Get us some orange juice." Orange juice would rehydrate and provide much-needed sugars, which would need replenishing after a lot of time on their feet, reciting lines. Ryan obediently followed her instructions, marching his way down to the kitchen, getting two glasses from the cupboard and the orange juice from the refrigerator, and pouring it carefully. He filled both glasses, the juice flowing from the carton to the glass as though a water clock marking time pass, Time away from Sharpay, and at the moment he didn't want to be apart from her. So every inch, marking a second, felt like an hour to the poor, distraught boy. Finally, he finished, and brought the glasses back upstairs.

"It took you long enough," Sharpay said, grabbing the glass closest to her and gulping it down. He wanted to explain how much it pained him too, but he doubted she was lamenting for the same reason as he. She was merely impatient. Ryan sipped his drink delicately.

"You're such a girl," Sharpay said teasingly. "You've got some pulp on your lip."

She approached him and kissed his upper lip, licking off the pulp. Ryan was taken aback. Usually she only did this kind of thing when she was upset. She moved her tongue down, licking the orange juice off of his lips, and then tasted his tongue. She pulled back, leaving her tongue in his mouth for a while, until she pulled it out, slowly.

"Mmm, orange-y," she said.

"Are you, feeling all right?"

Rather than answering, Sharpay drew closer to Ryan again, tilting her head slightly and kissing him softly. She used only the tip of her tongue, and Ryan responded in kind, their tongues teasing each others like flames licking at fuel, fueling their passion as they began to kiss deeper. Ryan put his hands on Sharpay's waist; her left hand was stroking Ryan's hair and her right was behind his back.

Then they pulled away from each other. Ryan tried to hide his disappointment, that as suddenly as it had started, it had ended.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"I... I don't know," Sharpay said, slightly red and flustered. "Excuse me a second." She rushed out of the room and toward her bedroom.

Ryan wondered what that was about. She had spontaneously begun to make out with him. Before she had a reason – usually when she was angry or sad, or otherwise upset. Or occasionally, she'd kiss him to accentuate a point, or to force some sort of control over him. She must have realized how erotic he found it, how much he actually liked it. Normally she used it to vent, or feel comfort or relief. But this had been rather random. He wondered if maybe, just maybe, she was beginning to have the same feelings as him, the feelings that this should be more than a physical relationship. Had she done this because she truly loved him, not just as the one who supported her career but as a lover?

No_, _he realized. It probably wasn't true. This was Sharpay, she did nothing that wasn't planned carefully. She was quite brilliant, in a sense. What he had to discover was her true reason for kissing him, and then running off. One theory he had was that the exhaustion of their practice caused her to get her feelings confused, and then she had realized it. He expected she would talk to him about it soon.

Still, this meant that their practice was at least suspended. On the one hand, he wanted to comfort Sharpay right now, and wanted to be with her, but on the other hand, this would be counter productive. She needed to be alone right now. The problem was that Ryan didn't know what to do with himself now. What did normal people do when they found themselves with free time? Didn't they 'hang out' with 'friends'? Of course normal people have friends, are _allowed_ to have friends. What if no friends are available? Eh, screw it. He'd watch TV. It wasn't something he did often, but occasionally, it was nice to not have to think for yourself. To have pictures and sound fed to you in a constant unbuffered stream.

He went into the entertainment room, and turned on the large-screen TV. They got about a million channels, so it was quite likely that he'd find something on that he wouldn't mind watching for a while. He flipped through them, pausing moments on each to see what was on that channel. Largely it was nothing, though there was a rendition of Swan Lake that he found quite artistic, which he stopped to watch. He wondered what his father would think – probably he'd be hoping that he was watching it because the ballerinas were hot. Ryan found no attraction to them. He knew they were attractive, he could judge that, but he didn't feel anything special from looking at them. No sexual attraction at all. It was totally unlike his sister. She did something to him, something primal and erotic. She awakened the reptile brain, the one telling him to breed with this other organism, and do it as soon as possible. He knew that there was something wrong with him for feeling that, but he also knew that it was much deeper than the basic biological functions. He loved her on a philosophical level, because she was one of few people who was honest with him. Moreover, he was the only one with whom Sharpay was ever honest. This made him feel special, unique. Like he was seeing something sacred and forbidden that no one else got to see. He was allowed entrance into the holy of holies, and he didn't even need to take off his sandals.

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of these thoughts and focus on the ballet. It was quite beautiful. He admired the choreography. They danced so well. He hoped that one day, he and Sharpay could be that good, though he doubted she would ever go for ballet. Oh certainly she had taken ballet classes, but what she _performed_ was much more upbeat, pop-style or show style dances. They might be on Broadway someday, but probably not in the ballet. It was too bad, Ryan would love to play the Nutcracker to Sharpay's Clara, despite the fact that Herr Drosselmeyer was actually the male lead, depending of course, on the interpretation of the story being performed. He wanted to be the romantic opposite of her, after all. It was so sensual for him to appear on stage, playing her lover, while he himself desired so much to be just that. Something about the act of telling everyone without them believing it was strangely arousing.

He would hate it if they actually did find out, of course. It wasn't that he had a reputation to worry about, but he had a certain quietude about him. People pretty much ignored him, and he was fine with that. He wouldn't be able to deal with it if people knew him as "that guy in love with his sister" or "that incestuous kid." The stares and whispers as he walked down the hallway – he got enough of that as it is, though most people assumed he was gay, which he couldn't entirely deny. If it weren't for his sister, he might be gay – although there were no males he was particularly attracted to, he at least knew he wasn't attracted to girls, except for his sister. It was a confusing emotional attachment. At least he also knew that he didn't have any sort of paraphilia. Incest was bad enough, he couldn't personally deal with something even more embarrassing, or potentially _insane_. Some people were nuts. However, even he had to admit that he wasn't completely right in the head, but he dare not get professional help. They might do something he didn't want, like cure him. What would he do without his love of Sharpay? He would have nothing – be empty. Without her guidance he was stuck doing mundane things like watching television. Without his love of her, would he lack the motivation to follow her direction so loyally and unerringly? He couldn't answer this, nor did he care to find out. He would rather be mentally damaged, even unstable, and continue his depraved existence, than fix himself and be lost, unable to do anything with any meaning. C'est la vie, as the French say.

He watched television for a little while, and then decided he ought to check on Sharpay. He went up to her room and knocked lightly on the door.

"Sharpay? Are you all right?"

"No. Go away."

"Do you want to talk?"

"I... yes. No! I don't know. Go away!"

Ryan shrugged and went away. There wasn't anything he could do about it right now, it seemed. But Sharpay was acting extremely strangely. It was not like Sharpay to say something like that. Usually she would know exactly what to say, and not change her mind mid-sentence.

"Well if you ever do, I'm here," he called back.

Act I, Scene III

Lord Benvolio's Home

Larissa, the Seeress, standing there, with Bonita reclining on a couch.

Enter Benvolio, Roberto, Gregorio.

Larissa (Gabriella): _She slaps Benvolio._ Where have you been? I have important news for you, and you're off celebrating and gallivanting.

Benvolio (Troy): Celebrating yes, but no galleys have been vanted lately.

Lar.: And why wasn't your lovely wife invited to vant galleys with you?

Ben.: I already told you, we were not.

Bonita (Sharpay): Benvolio, dear, I don't mind you spending time with the boys, but you really should include me in such a victory. Don't you like celebrating with me?

Ben.: The celebration I have with you I don't think my boys would like.

Gregorio: Roberto perhaps.

_Roberto smacks Gregorio upside the head. _

Lar.: Shut up, all of you. I was divining and saw a most disturbing, wretched sight. Lord Benvolio's own brother, the warlord Malvolio, approaches the city this instant. He will be here within a day. Lord Benvolio, you must mobilize your force against him.

Ben.: _Visibly sobering at the news._ He likely expects to have the advantage of surprise. No matter. Gregorio, alert the city guard, have them lock and barricade the gates. Roberto, alert the men. I will be there within half an hour to review the troops. Post haste!

_Exeunt Roberto and Gregorio. _

Ben.: I apologize, my lovely Bonita. I must leave you and attend to matters. There will be no celebration unless it can be done in half an hour -

Bon.: More like two minutes.

Ben.: _Not missing a beat_. And I cannot celebrate in good conscious until my brother's attack has been repelled. Fare thee well!

_Exeunt omnes._


	4. Aftereffects

**(A.N. I am so sorry I haven't updated this in literally a year and more! I have no really good excuse, except that this was one of the best stories I have and keeping up with the style is almost exhausting. In retrospect this story was **_**too**_** ambitious, since I was trying to interweave this tale with the one in the play... still, I feel that this story does deserve getting back to, and here I am, back to it, mostly to give the readers of my **_**other**_** incest story a bit of a break from a number of quick updates!)**

Sharpay eventually came out of her room, and she was entirely composed and herself once again. She found Ryan watching TV and looked at him, disgusted.

"Come on Ryan, we have work to do," she said, grabbing the remote and turning off the television. Ryan suppressed a slight groan. He was actually somewhat tired, despite the fact that he normally didn't get that way, even after quite a number of rehearsals.

"Shar, don't you want to talk about what happened?"

"Nothing happened," she snapped, apparently not wanting to talk about it, or straight up denying it.

"I just mean, the way you kissed me," Ryan said as he pressed the issue.

"It was nothing. I've kissed you before, you know," she stated flatly, sashaying to the studio.

"Yeah, but never quite like that," Ryan explained, stepping quickly to keep up with her strides.

"Whatever!" she cried, suddenly stopping and turning to him. "Look, I was tired and that made my emotions confused, that's all!"

"All right, all right," Ryan said, finally letting go of the situation. He didn't think that this entirely explained it, since Sharpay wasn't one to get confused even when she was tired. But he wasn't going to find out, it seemed, what the real cause was. The timing seemed odd though, since the night before Zeke had come to dinner. He wondered if that had been the catalyst for her explosion of emotion during their rehearsal, although he couldn't quite tell why it would be, unless she was, for some reason or another, unhappy with Zeke. Of course she was, though, since she didn't love him. She still loved Troy and for the life of him Ryan could not figure out why. He was nothing more than a shallow prettyboy, while Ryan had depth and mystique to his advantage. But he knew, as always, she would never love him. At least not the way she loved Troy. He did have one thing though – in a way, she loved Ryan more than Zeke.

What was the deal with Zeke, anyway? Why did Sharpay feel like she needed to keep a boyfriend? It was all part of her plan to keep up her appearances, supposedly. She always had a plan, she was always prepared. Nothing she did wasn't part of some long-term machine, each cog fitting into the next in a perfect interleave that worked people and all of society to her final goal. If pressed, Ryan would say that even Sharpay kissing Ryan like that, even her exasperated and confused emotions around and after the event, weren't real, but merely a deliberate act on her part. To achieve what end, Ryan still did not know.

Yet, no one knew Sharpay better than Ryan. (The reverse also being true, but not pertinent to this discussion.) Ryan should be able to tell when she's acting and when she's being sincere, shouldn't he? Come to think of it though, could he ever tell a time when she was sincere? Perhaps...back at the country club when she was crying because even Ryan had abandoned her. There may have been another time too, but the point was that it was very rare. Ryan should have been able to tell, though, whether this had been one of those rare times she was being sincere or if she was still attempting to deceive him and everyone else in the world.

They rehearsed for another two hours before Sharpay let Ryan go, and he went back to his idle television-viewing. Although the ballet was over, there was a baseball game on another channel that he watched. After all, he had been decent at baseball in his day, and had even shown Chad a thing or two back last summer. Come to think of it, that had been the time when he had gotten along best with anyone (other than Tom and Kelsi). So he watched the baseball game in silence, wishing his father could see him now so that he wouldn't think he was entirely homosexual.

To Ryan's surprise, Sharpay came into the room and sat on the couch next to him. "Look Ryan," she said after a pause. "I'm sorry I got mad at you. It wasn't your fault."

"Thanks Sharpay," Ryan said, smiling at his sister. It was a good act, a very well-feigned deceit. The only trick was, how much did she know? Ryan doubted she was being sincere, so he wasn't going to be either. But did she know that he was also deceitful, or did she take his words at face value? Oh, so many layers of lies! He also knew, however, that no matter what they both knew, they wouldn't say anything about it. They would both keep up the charade of feigning to one another that they were being true, because that is what was expected.

Sharpay sighed and snuggled up to Ryan. This wasn't too odd – even when she was acting normal she liked to cuddle with her brother. He was a warm body, and masculine in an offhand and non-threatening way. Of course the way they cuddled wasn't quite innocent for a brother and sister to touch, at least not at their age. Sharpay was more or less in Ryan's lap with her head resting on his strong chest. She closed her eyes, evidently content. It was good, now, that their parents were hardly ever around. They dare not let their parents see them like this.

Ryan wondered what would happen if he tried to kiss her. Probably, she would tell him he was crossing the thin but real line that she had laid out for their relationship and never let him touch her again. That would be... unwanted, Ryan thought, as he ran his fingers through her golden and slightly wavy hair. It was smooth and beautiful, always shiny and bright. She murmured a bit, she apparently liked that touch.

"I love you, Ry," she said softly, and Ryan's heart skipped a beat. He actually put a finger to his neck to make sure the pulse came back.

"But how?" Ryan asked.

"You're my favorite brother," she said, yawning. Of course...he was her only brother.

Act I, Scene IV

Lord Malvolio's Camp

Malvolio (Ryan): Scout, report!

Scout: Alas my lord, your brother has somehow seen the advancement and is preparing his defense of the city. We may be able to lay siege to it for some time.

Mal.: No, we will withdraw. If we cannot have an advantage, we will not assault them at all.

Scout: But lord, after we've come so far?

Mal.: We will only withdraw to a position out of sight. I have a better plan, one that will allow us to strike and succeed, but it needs time for it to work. You are dismissed! Lieutenant!

Exit Scout, enter Lieutenant.

Lieutenant: Yes sir?

Mal.: Begin to organize the men and have them retreat to the position behind the hills... nay, further! To the coast. I don't know how far my brother can see. We haven't seen any beacons, correct?

Lieu.: Correct sir. The only way he could find us is if he sends out scouts, whether they be on horseback or not.

Mal.: Of course a horse is easier to track. Have we gotten wind of any that are not ours?

Lieu.: No sir, although we cannot be completely certain. We have made a lot of tracks, we cannot quite account for all of them.

Mal.: Never mind, in any event, we know he has a scout who has seen us. But we have seen him too, so at least we're even in that respect. Dismissed, lieutenant!

Exit Lieutenant:

Mal.: Of course I have a plan. One that requires more stealth and secrecy than an army can provide, but it is my backup. Plan B requires that I sneak into the fortified city! How shall I do this, I do not yet know, but I know what I will do when I get in – I will kill my brother!


	5. Dinner

**(A.N. Wheeeeeee I'm updating! I honestly don't have the time to do this, I should be doing homework. It's a really hard year so far, haha. But I couldn't leave these characters in stasis! They demanded to be written about.)**

Sharpay had fallen asleep on Ryan's lap. He was watching her, which was either sweet or creepy depending on your point of view. For Ryan's part he found it neither, it was just something he was doing. He continued to run his fingers through her hair, and she kept moaning slightly her in sleep. He considered taking her up to her room, but that would require shifting out from under her and he wasn't sure how to move her without waking her up. At least that's what he told himself to avoid the thought that he really just didn't want her to leave. He enjoyed her warmth, her light breath tickling his next, and the smoothness of her perfectly treated skin. She never sunbathed without sunscreen and she had just the perfect tan without exposing herself to too much UV radiation. She wanted to look good at 60, and Ryan was certain she would, at least to him.

He sighed, trying not to be too loud. How did he get into this mess? This mess of loving his sister in a way he shouldn't. And she was little help, with how she kept touching him and caressing him, and kissing him. But he had to admit, albeit reluctantly, that he would still love her if she didn't do all that. She was too beautiful and too complex for him to not love her. Perhaps Ryan should have tried to meet other girls, but Sharpay had never given him much time for other friends. Ryan was just her little toy dog to her. But to Ryan, Sharpay was his goddess, not merely a master.

And yet, at this point, he was playing the expected role of protecting brother. At least how they were cuddled now, Ryan's arms were wrapped around Sharpay's petite body. She looked adorable while sleeping, so innocent and pure, completely contrary to what Ryan knew of her. He wondered sometimes if she actually was good, on the inside, and only pretended to be evil. He knew that she could act however she wanted, and she often acted good for evil ends. But what if she was acting like she was evil? It would be, much like the layer of lies earlier, a stacking of masks through which no one could see. Was she that afraid to let people know her? And if so, why? She was a lovely girl, on the inside. Ryan was fairly certain of this despite the fact that he couldn't be entirely sure that he'd ever seen her true self either. He was sure that she'd seen his true self, but he didn't know if she knew that. Of course she probably did – compared to Sharpay Ryan was a simpleton with his emotional state.

Ah, but there was one part of his self that Sharpay did not know. A very important part, one that consumed nearly his entire being. It was what Sharpay could not know, or else their entire world would crumble around them and all would be lost! Everything they (she) had worked so hard for would be for naught. Sharpay must never know that Ryan sincerely loved her. Yet he was tired of all these lies. He wished that Sharpay would just say "Troy be damned!" He wished he had the courage to just kiss her passionately in a way that would make her melt into his soul, to win her such that she would be forever his.

Yet she was his sister. He could not do that. The role of brother had to come first, and in fact, it entirely prevented the role of lover. Siblings could not be together, not by law, not by nature. And a good brother wouldn't let his feelings get in the way of what his sister really wanted. Unless, perhaps, what she wanted wasn't very good for her. And Ryan certainly felt that Troy wasn't good for her, yet he could not say without bias that he would be the best.

She stirred slightly, and Ryan realized that they should probably get supper soon. The baseball game had ended long ago and Ryan had turned off the television. He had just been letting Sharpay cuddle him for about an hour. How he wished it could just be forever. But they had stuff to do.

He gently moved out from under her, intending to let her sleep as much as possible. Then he'd go and make their supper, since the cook was off tonight. There was no need for a cook for every meal, after all, and despite not being up to Zeke's level, Ryan was a serviceable cook. Anyway, he had decided on spaghetti with tomato sauce for dinner and that was easy enough – even Sharpay could make that. But Ryan was going to do so tonight.

As the water boiled, Ryan decided that he should probably wake up his sister so she could get ready for dinner. He went back to the couch, her head resting on its arm. He couldn't resist himself, and so he kissed her forehead as delicately as a butterfly alighting upon a flower. This didn't even wake her up.

"Shar?" he whispered.

"Hmm?" she responded, opening her eyes slightly.

"It's time to get ready for dinner," he told her. She sat up.

"Oh. Thanks." She stood up and sauntered off to her room.

He didn't know quite why she had to change just to eat, but it was the kind of thing she did. Meanwhile he went back to preparing the spaghetti. It was a simple recipe and he had memorized it, although "memorizing" might be too strong a word for the directions of "boil water and put noodles in." He smiled at himself sadly has he lit a candle. He had decided to see if Sharpay would notice that he's trying to be romantic with her, despite the fact that it was toeing, if not stepping on, the line of conduct which he is allowed with her. The understanding had always gone that anything was allowed if Sharpay initiated it. It wasn't fair but she had all the power in this relationship.

She came back down just as the meal was ready. They sat in the kitchen, since it was just the two of them and the dining room was reserved for when they entertained guests. She either didn't notice the candlelight or pretended not to, because she said nothing about it one way or the other.

Ryan was too nervous to initiate any conversation and Sharpay must have been too voracious, for they ate in silence. Yet it was not an awkward silence, somehow it was a comfortable one. One that only comes from two people who are able to converse without words. They didn't need to say anything to one another and neither of them expected them to. This was such a relief, a break from the earlier transaction of falsehoods.

Unless... Ryan couldn't be sure that Sharpay felt the same way. Could she actually imitate the almost mystical feeling of being so connected to someone you didn't have to speak? What was it? A way she held her body? Perhaps she was so good at acting she could exude false pheromones. He wouldn't put it past her.

This line of thought was making Ryan feel awkward, now. He quickly finished up eating and excused himself. Sharpay raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

Ryan needed some non-false people, and he had only one person to turn to. Besides which, he owed it to Tom to give him a call. So he went up to his room where he could have the privacy he'd need to hold this call. He dialed without hesitation.

"Hello?" Tom's voice came from the other end.

"Hey Tom, it's Ryan," Ryan replied. "Listen, I have to tell you, Sharpay -"

"Got the script. I know. I know. She's a tricksy one."

"How did it-"

"She kind of strongarmed Kelsi. I'm still trying to calm her down."

"Dammit," Ryan said. He didn't swear very often, and when he did it wasn't very strongly. This was about as severe as he got. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. You know how Sharpay can be."

"Undoubtedly better than anyone," Ryan replied wryly and sadly. "Can I do anything about it?"

"I don't think so, but thanks anyway. I'm going to go back to Kelsi...I'll see you tomorrow."

"OK, see you Tom," Ryan said, and hung up. Huh, that solved one mystery, at least. He felt bad for Tom and Kelsi. Here were innocent, unassuming people who were totally devastated by Sharpay. He'd seen it many times before.

On the other hand, could he trust Tom? Sure, he always seemed to like Ryan (and everyone else, of course) but Ryan knew just as well as anyone that someone could be untrue. Maybe Kelsi didn't take as much offense to whatever Sharpay did as he was implying. Maybe Tom only pretended to like everyone. Maybe he was just trying to play everyone for _his_ own purposes. Ryan felt like he couldn't trust anyone, and maybe he couldn't. That was the problem, there was absolutely no way of telling!

Ryan was distraught. Yet, assuming Tom was a liar, what would be his aim? What were his goals? Sharpay's were simple – she wanted to be famous. (She also wanted to be rich, pretty, and get everything she wants, but she already had those.) The only thing Ryan could see Tom doing with his powers would be to play everyone against Sharpay. Unless, of course, Tom's aims were much further removed than that. Maybe they were for far in the future, or maybe they were totally alien.

But assuming, again, that it was to go against Sharpay, would that be so terrible? She could use knocked down a few notches, especially if it meant Ryan would be there to pick up the pieces. Of course, he couldn't let her know he was associating with Tom against her. Plus, how would he know that Tom actually trusted him on his side? And how does one even initiate such a contact?

Suddenly Ryan caught himself. He couldn't believe that he had actually been considering what he had been considering, especially for the reasons he had. He knew that it would never work, and in fact, shouldn't work even if it did. He had to keep to, well...

He had to keep to the status quo.


	6. Comfort

**(A.N. Again I'm updating when I have so much else to do! But inspiration struck and hope springs eternal or something like that. This chapter features a jump in time in the play, which is something I had intended to do a lot of. The play isn't entirely written out, but it's more or less formed, and so the scenes of the play are supposed to reflect the story. I actually had most of this chapter written but had to figure out what scene to include in the play portion.)**

Ryan wasn't sure who to turn to now. Were he a normal person, he might be able to talk to his parents. You're supposed to be able to trust them, after all, and if you couldn't the whole life cycle thing just wouldn't really work. But he was not a normal person. Normal people were not in love with their sisters, for one. And normal people had parents around sometimes. While Ryan was close to his mother, she wasn't available very often.

And now, with Ryan's sudden realization that anyone could be lying to him at any time, he felt dreadfully alone. He knew he couldn't trust his sister, and strangely enough knowing that for a fact was much more relieving than not knowing if a particular person was trying to pull one on him or not.

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you?" Ryan said as his cat, Snowball, came in to his room. She meowed at him. While Sharpay had her own dog of an appropriate enough breed, he had insisted on getting a cat. It was one of the few times Ryan had stood up for himself and gotten his way, and he was glad, because he loved Snowball. He always was more of a cat person than a dog person. Dogs were friendly and loyal, of course, and they rarely ever lied, but cats didn't lie either. Of course they didn't lie about being the most selfish and self-serving beings in existence, but still, they were honest about it. Sometimes Ryan wondered why Sharpay didn't like cats, since they were just like her, but other times he realized that that was exactly why she didn't like cats.

Ryan began petting Snowball absently as she purred. In any event, Ryan couldn't go to Sharpay with all his problems because one of them was that he was in love with her. That was, in fact, his biggest problem. His second biggest problem was that everyone else in the world was lying to him, but that wasn't easily dealt with. His problem of being in love with Sharpay, however, he could handle. He just needed to tell someone about it.

"Snowball," Ryan said to her. "I'm in love with Sharpay." Snowball meowed.

"Yes, it's true. A terrible, aching love, one not proper for a brother to feel for his sister." Snowball meowed again.

"You won't tell anyone, right?" Snowball meowed a third time. She was a very talkative cat, but Ryan felt he could trust her with this secret.

A sudden idea came to him. Ryan was a trained actor, and he was very good at it. Oh sure, he focused on the singing and the dancing, but that was just an act too, really. If no one else was going to be honest with him, why should he be honest with them? He was already lying about his true feelings for Sharpay, so why would it be so much of a stretch to, say, lie about other things? He could schmooze with other liars and, if he could out-lie them, hopefully come up with the advantage. Or at the very least he could work them into a situation which protocol requires that they do what he wants. It could work.

But could it, really? More to the point, did he have it in him? He very much sincerely doubted so. He couldn't handle it anymore. He felt himself breaking down, and very slowly he began to sob. He cried audibly, but quietly. Still, Sharpay was passing by and heard him.

"Ryan?" she said softly. "Are you crying, you big baby?" She chided him, yet her voice was still soft and soothing rather than cruel. She came over to his bed where he sat and sat down beside him, wrapping her arms around him and leaning her head on Ryan's shoulder. It was ironic that she was trying to comfort him, when Ryan's problems were caused by her. And yet, despite the fact that he was upset both at loving her and at her false nature, he was indeed comforted, strangely but surely, by her physical closeness. He gripped her hands with his own without moving her arms from around him. He looked at her, tears welling in his soft eyes.

"You can tell me anything, Ryan," Sharpay cooed. "I'm your sister, after all." Ah, but he couldn't tell her everything. But perhaps he could tell her something.

"Sharpay, I'm worried that everyone is being false to me and no one really likes me," he said, explaining part of his troubles.

"Aw, Ryan," Sharpay said, looking at him. "People like you! They like you more than they like me, anyway. I mean," she paused. "Remember back last year when you went behind my back, betraying and backstabbing me and -"

"Is this supposed to be helping?"

"Sorry," she said, giving him a squeeze. "But what I mean is, you helped all of them put on a hell of a show. Surely they appreciated you for that. And I, I was just trying to antagonize them."

"I know, but... did they really like me or did they just like getting at you?"

"I don't know," Sharpay admitted. "But I do know this. I will always love you."

"Really?" Ryan said, almost shocked. He blinked through his tears.

"Yes," Sharpay said, shushing him quietly.

Ryan shook his head. He wasn't so sure about that. He knew that Sharpay could be more false to him than anyone. But how could he tell her that? If he told her he was worried about her lying to him, she could just lie and say she didn't. She would, if she were lying to him, and there's no way he could tell then, because either way she would say that she does in fact love him. She continued to hug him, though.

"Ryan, do you want to sleep with me tonight?" Sharpay asked.

Ryan started. Had he heard what he thought he heard? Then again, she probably didn't mean what he had thought.

"Shar, we haven't done that since we were little kids," he said. It was true that when they were younger they would share a bed occasionally. It grew inappropriate for them to do so as they got older, naturally, but given the closeness they shared when their parents weren't looking it wouldn't be strange to Ryan and Sharpay to share a bed. Besides, the house was going to be completely empty until late afternoon the next day.

"I know, but I don't want to leave you alone," she said.

Why did she want him in her bed? Ryan wondered at this. What purpose could it serve? If she genuinely wanted him close to her, she might not be lying about loving him. And if she truly didn't want him to be alone, she might be thinking of him out of love too. The only thing Ryan could see her doing, which was probable anyway, was that she wanted to keep him dependent on her. He wasn't going to give her that pleasure.

"I'll be OK," Ryan said. Sharpay batted her eyelashes and looked at him pleadingly.

"Please? For me?"

Ryan bit his bottom lip. She badly wanted to make sure he was dependent, apparently. Well he wasn't going to let himself become any more emotionally dependent than he already was (if that were possible anyway), but he felt that he could give into this one without too much damage. Plus, he wanted to.

"All right. For you," he said.

Later that night, as Ryan got into Sharpay's bed in his flannel pajamas, he felt like this was somehow right. Somehow, this bed felt more comfortable, although maybe it was. And when Sharpay got in next to him in her sheer nightgown, he felt at ease. She was cuddled up next tom him, holding him, and Ryan wondered if she wanted to be near him as much as he wanted to be near her.

_Act II, Scene III_

_Lord Benvolio's Manor. Malvolio and Bonita are there_

Malvolio (Ryan): 'tis I, your husband Benvolio, come home from the day's scouting.

Bonita (Sharpay): Is there any sign of your brother's army?

Mal.: Nay, nay. They seem to have retreated upon seeing our defenses. Except – oh, never mind, I shouldn't bother you with it.

Bon.: With what, pray tell?

Mal.: With news of what that no-good brother of mine is up to.

Bon.: Whatever do you mean?

Mal.: I might as well tell you. _Malvolio sighs_. We fear that it may be a trick, that he may have something else up his sleeve. We are forunate to have kept up our defenses.

Bon.: Wouldn't the Seeress Larissa have seen it if he did have another plan?

Mal.: (Aside) So this is how my brother knew of my army! My deception already yields worthwhile information. I must find this Seeress! (To Bonita) I don't know, my dear. Perhaps we should convene with her to find out. (Aside again) Though I must be careful – if she can see through my disguise it wouldn't do to have my sister-in-law present while we speak. (To Bonita) I would prefer not to bother you with the details of our battle plans.

Bon.: _Bonita Nods_. I understand. I'll send for her and leave you alone.

Mal.: (Aside) Ye God, I can't believe that worked. (To Bonita) Thank you my dear. For all our sakes I hope she has seen nothing.


End file.
